Flamingo Beach Resort

Playa Flamingo Resort Just Average

by TripAdvisor Member LukesterCharleston

Just got back from 6 days in Costa Rica. We stayed at the Flamingo Resort in Playa Flamingo. Costa Rica was wonderful, the Flamingo was very average. The Good: Flamingo beach was beautiful and the access easy. The pool was also very nice. The Bad: The bathtub/shower in our room leaked horribly all over the floor. A terrible design flaw. The shower head had no pressure and just trickled. The swim up bar at the pool is under construction. The food was very overpriced and not good. We did not choose the AI plan and were glad we didn't. We ate out all week. Playa Flamingo is a very isolated town/beach. We had to travel to go do and see anything. Marie's restaurant across the street was nice, highly recommend it. If you pay cash, they don't charge the 13% tax. The Mar Y Sol restaurant in Flamingo was very nice and they will pick you up at the hotel. However, they were way overpiced for the quality. Same goes for the Happy Snapper in nearby Brasalito. Our #1 favorite restaurant was the El Camaron Dorado in Brasalito. They also will pick you up and take you back to the hotel. They had great food at wonderful prices. The bonus was eating just yards away from the surf right on the beach. We did the Canopy tours at the Buena Vista park thru Vargas Tours and were very pleased. We also used Vargas tours for our transfer from the Liberia airport to the hotel. Vargas charged us $80 for a family of four for the transfer. We used the hotel for the return transfer as they only charged $65. We did one day surfing at Tamarindo, our teenage kids loved that. Also rented the ATVs thru the hotel which turned out to be a great high light. Next time we go to Costa Rica, we will rent a home or condo.

A pleasent suprise

by TripAdvisor Member kitseng

This hotel was a welcomed change after a few days in Tamarindo. The room we stayed in was in the southern wing and it was huge and brand new. The room had a small fridge which I found very useful for keeping water, Imperial and some breakfast food chilled. The drinks and food at the hotel were a total rip off as the food was lousy and the poured cheap booze at US bar prices. That problem was easily solved by visiting several of the sell stocked local stores. The resort is fairly secluded (small small town) however they do offer some decent diving, snorkling, ATV, horseback riding tours from the hotel. 2-3 days is a prefect amount of time at this resort if you had A.D.D. like I do and need a constant change in scenery. I will also restate what was stated in a previous review and that is the sunset here is absolutely spectacular, the horizon is dotted with several small island and often a sailboat, perfect. The attached picture really doesn't do it justice!

Can't wait to go back!

by TripAdvisor Member valpoconnection

Spring Break 07! I have waited so long to go to Costa Rica. My husband and my daughter and her friend, had the time of our life. Our room was located on the top corner. We had three balconies.The room amazed us! We had a seperate living room, kitchen and a large bedroom. The service was great. My husband and my daughter went diving-they were amazed. The pool is nice, but walk to the beach, just across, and you can walk forever, alone, and safe. Be careful of the rough tides, but buy a cheap boogey board. The food at the hotel wasn't very good. So we would just go out of the lot and up a dirt hill to a place called Maries, cheap and very good! However at the hotel order a Mango Daquri. (Yum). My daughter is 16, and was never bored. The tours were fun. Pablo at the front desk was so incredible. The computer for the guests did not work most of the time, and you had to pay. Our room was clean. The pool is deep, but they have a kiddy pool also. Please sit at the beach for sunset. I would definately go back, but developments are going up everywhere. Be prepared for bumpy old roads.

Amazing time!

by TripAdvisor Member creston467

I stayed here on my Honeymoon for 5 days May 30-Jun 4. Even through the hotel pool was underconstuction my wife and I had an amazing time. We booked the honeymoon suite, but when we got there they gave us a junior suite which was beautiful, huge and had a jacuzzi tube. I went to the front desk and told them that wasn't the room I booked and said the Honeymoon suite would be ready in 2 days and they would discount my current room $50 each night. This was fine by my wife and I. The Honeymoon suite was to die for. HUGE seperate living room w/ jacuzzi king size bed. The shower w/ 2 shower heads was great. The hotel was spotless and saw them shining the brass banaster every moroning. My wife and I ate at the hotel the first night and thought the food was good. We both got filet. This was my 4th trip to Costa and had by far the best time at Flamingo. Fishing was ok wife got one sailfish w/ the Good Day Fishing team. Highlight by far was the Horseback riding w/ Santa Ana Tours. INCREDIBLE!! Went on the beach and up into the mountains and out to this point that looked off into the Pacific and you could see miles up the coast. Ate at Camaron Dorado 2 nights w/ amazing meals right on the beach and live Mariachi music played to you at the table(at Playa Brasillito). Had a wonderful time can't wait to go back!!! I highly recommend it to couples. Much better than Tamarindo, which is like Daytona Beach now (went there in 2002). Wish the pool would have been open but o well the beachs are beautiful!!!! PURA VIDA!!!

The Province with all the great beach villages

by Albernfrau

Other than a couple of nights in San Jose this province is where we spent over six weeks in Costa Rica. We lived in the Village of Potrero but also visited the nearby villages of Brasilito and Flamingo; the town of Liberia, the surfing haven of Tamarindo; and the town of Santa Cruz.

"Villages of Potrero, Flamingo and Brasilito"

Potrero, Costa Rica
Six kilometers away from Flamingo is the village of Potrero. This is the village we lived in for six weeks. It is an absolutely perfect place to get away from it all. The only store in the village is a grocery store called Super Ceymi. It is owned by two wonderful friendly men, Miguel and Orlando. Because this is the only store for miles you can pretty much buy anything there. We even bought our bicycles from the store. Saying that we did head to the city of Santa Cruz and LIberia to buy some items that we couldn't find in Potrero, ie. towels, bath mat, etc.

We rented a little house just down the road from the store from a man named Gato. He owns a number of houses and will rent them out at reasonable prices for all lengths of time.

There are two beaches in this area--Playa Penca and Playa Potrero. Playa Penca is the prettiest and while we lived in Potrero we went to this beach every day and only a couple of times did we ever see anyone else on this beach.

There isn't a lot to do in Potrero. We spent our time going for walks, going to the beach, riding our bikes and a lot of reading. Originally we had planned to spend 6 months here but after 4 weeks I was bored out of my mind. That is when we decided to travel the rest of Central America.

Overall Potrero was a wonderful place to relax and enjoy village beach living. The people were wonderful, the animals plentiful (howler monkeys everywhere!) and the weather perfect. If you are looking for culture and activity this isn't the place to go though.
After 6 weeks we decided to head for Nicaragua.

Flamingo, Costa Rica
Is a small village with mostly Americans living in it. There are a few hotels, a marina and a Spanish Language School, CPI. The school is excellent although expensive when compared to other Spanish schools in Central America.

The beach in Flamingo is beautiful and not too busy. There are a couple of scuba diving shops, a hair salon, a couple of restaurants and a few other stores. Everything in Flamingo is quite expensive.

Brasilito
Just beyond Playa Conchal to the north, you'll come to Playa Brasilito is a tiny beach village just like Potrero although there are a couple of more "general stores". One of the stores sells great produce. Just like Potrero the soccer field is the center of the village. This is the town where we would pay our cable TV bill (in a small hut just outside the centre)

The beach is long and mostly pretty gray sand but if you want a beach to yourself come here. There are a couple of places to stay here but mostly this is a locals village.

"Tamarindo, Santa Cruz & Liberia"

Tamarindo
On the west coast, this town is popular with surfers of all abilities. I actually wish we would have lived here instead of in Potrero as there are a variety of stores, restaurants, etc. but still the feeling of being away from it all. Lots of young people here. I would recommend this village over any in the Guanacaste Province.

Santa Cruz
We took a bus from Potrero to the city of Santa Cruz to buy some items that we couldn't find in Potrero, ie. towels, bath mat, etc. This town was nothing too exciting. We mainly went here to go shopping. Wouldn't really recommend it. No beach.

Liberia
Liberia is where we went to catch a bus north to Nicaragua. We spent the day here checking out stores. The Central Park is very nice and was the spot where my husband and I had our first marital argument!!! This is also where you can get some "American" food, ie Burger King. I wouldn't really recommend staying here but it is a good place to catch buses, get a meal, buy any supplies you need and then move on!

To catch the bus to Nicaragua go to the Nica Bus terminal 2 blocks south of the main intercity bus terminal. The bus ticket to Grenada, Nicaraga cost approx $15US each. Nica Bus was fabulous. They are a first-class bus service and they provided excellent service.

Costa Rica

by Albernfrau

"Costa Rica in a Nutshell"

To read my daily journal of life in this Costa Rican village go to this link:
http://www.geocities.com/spiritualadventurers/OurTravels.html

Also check out my husbands Costa Rican Adventure pages from when he lived there for 3 years: http://www.geocities.com/mbt_1999/costarica.html

Overall I enjoyed the beaches of Costa Rica and the relaxed lifestyle however I found it to be lacking in culture and quite expensive (almost as much as living in Canada). Below are the details of our experiences.

We flew to Costa Rica on Continental Airlines. Nothing significant re: the flight.
Immigration was fairly quick and simple at the San Jose, Costa Rica airport.

San Jose, Costa Rica
Took taxi to downtown San Jose. Taxi cost $10US.

Stayed two nights in the Hotel Caribe ($35US for two) on Paseo Colon. Nice, clean, small hotel with hot water shower. Had the hotel manager call Ecotrans minibus to pick us up the next morning to take us to the west coast of Costa Rica. The minibus is $25US per person to go basically anywhere in Costa Rica. Most hotels should be able to call them for you. We took the bus to Flamingo, Costa Rica. The ride took approximately 6 hours.

Flamingo, Costa Rica
Is a small village with mostly Americans living in it. There are a few hotels, a marina and a Spanish Language School, CPI. The school is excellent although expensive when compared to other Spanish schools in Central America.

The beach in Flamingo is beautiful and not too busy. There are a couple of scuba diving shops, a hair salon, a couple of restaurants and a few other stores. Everything in Flamingo is quite expensive.

Potrero, Costa Rica
Six kilometers away from Flamingo is the village of Potrero. This is the village we lived in for six weeks. It is an absolutely perfect place to get away from it all. The only store in the village is a grocery store called Super Ceymi. It is owned by two wonderful friendly men, Miguel and Orlando. Because this is the only store for miles you can pretty much buy anything there. We even bought our bicycles from the store. Saying that we did head to the city of Santa Cruz and LIberia to buy some items that we couldn't find in Potrero, ie. towels, bath mat, etc.

We rented a little house just down the road from the store from a man named Gato. He owns a number of houses and will rent them out at reasonable prices for all lengths of time.

There are two beaches in this area--Playa Penca and Playa Potrero. Playa Penca is the prettiest and while we lived in Potrero we went to this beach every day and only a couple of times did we ever see anyone else on this beach.

There isn't a lot to do in Potrero. We spent our time going for walks, going to the beach, riding our bikes and a lot of reading. Originally we had planned to spend 6 months here but after 4 weeks I was bored out of my mind. That is when we decided to travel the rest of Central America.

Overall Potrero was a wonderful place to relax and enjoy village beach living. The people were wonderful, the animals plentiful (howler monkeys everywhere!) and the weather perfect. If you are looking for culture and activity this isn't the place to go though.
After 6 weeks we decided to head for Nicaragua.

We headed to the city of Liberia to catch a bus to Nicaragua. The bus we took was the Nica Bus. The Nica Bus terminal is 2 blocks south of the main intercity bus terminal. The bus ticket to Grenada, Nicaraga cost approx $15US each. Nica Bus was fabulous. They are a first-class bus service and they provided excellent service.